Ramesh Das, hailing from Bhadrak in Odisha, vividly recalls his terrifying escape from the catastrophic floods in Nepal, where he narrowly avoided disaster. He described witnessing water surging to heights of 80 to 100 feet, sweeping away everything in its path, including people, vehicles, and infrastructure.
Surviving by just a few minutes as torrents of water ravaged the area, Das detailed the harrowing experience that left him and his companions fearing for their lives during the flash floods that struck on August 26. After reaching safety, he shared his story.
Das explained that his group had begun their journey toward Kathmandu on August 26, traveling alongside the Trishuli River when they were alerted to the impending disaster. “After traveling approximately 40 to 50 kilometers, police and army personnel stopped us. They warned us about a significant disaster approaching and directed us to turn around and escape immediately. We swiftly changed our course, but had we delayed by even 10 to 15 minutes, the outcome could have been catastrophic,” Das recounted to ANI.
He vividly depicted the scale of the flooding, stating that the water surged with a frightening roar. “We saw buses, trucks, culverts, bridges, people, and animals being swept away by the floodwaters. The sight was terrifying, and we hurried our vehicle forward,” he added.
After managing to reach Pokhara, the group spent a day and night there. Yet, their troubles were not over. The following day, while they were at the Manakamana temple seeking refuge through prayer, army personnel once again warned them that floodwaters could soon reach the area and urged them to evacuate immediately.
Reflecting on those frightening moments, Das admitted, “We were filled with terror. We feared we might never return to Odisha. At that moment, we believed our lives were in grave danger.”
Now that he is safely back in Bhadrak, Das expressed profound gratitude for his survival. “From the depths of my heart, I offer sincere prayers to Lord Jagannath and my village deity Lord Mahadev, acknowledging that we owe our safe return to Odisha to their blessings,” he said.
Meanwhile, another group of 39 pilgrims from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, who were traveling from Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, also returned safely to India on Monday after being redirected away from their original return path due to the severe flash floods in Nepal.
One of the pilgrims, Yogesh, described the extent of the destruction they faced while trying to return. “Our group consisted of 39 individuals; we began our journey from our village. Our intended route was to Kerung, which led us to Mansarovar. On our way back, disaster struck. The flood swept everything away, disrupted immigration, and completely devastated the villages,” Yogesh informed ANI.
The flash floods on August 26 resulted in widespread devastation throughout Nepal’s mountainous regions. As reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the death toll reached 903 as of Monday, with approximately 4,247 individuals still unaccounted for. To date, 10,451 people have been rescued.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday that 158 Indian nationals had been successfully evacuated from Nepal following the catastrophic flooding that impacted the Himalayan region in the previous week.
